1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a wound retractor. More particularly, the invention relates to an elliptically shaped wound retractor for use with laparoscopic surgery and in conjunction with a seal employed in hand assisted laparoscopic surgery.
2. Description of the Related Art
During laparoscopic procedures it is often necessary to inflate the abdominal cavity in order to increase the volume of the working space. This is accomplished through the utilization of insufflation gas which must be maintained at a pressure sufficient to elevate the abdominal wall. The pressure supplied by the insufflation gas is generally controlled by positioning a seal assembly at the access point for the laparoscopic surgery. The seal is connected to the wound in a manner substantially sealing off the abdominal cavity through the utilization of a retractor. The retractor extends between the seal assembly and the interior wall along the tissue.
In addition to sealing off the abdominal cavity, the retractor offers the tissue adjacent the wound protection from abrasion, bacteria or other contaminants. It also allows organs to be removed while minimizing the risk of damage to the organs.
Many retractor devices that are currently used in surgical procedures use a flexible cylindrical sleeve (circular cross-section) design to perform retraction. When placing into the incision opening, the cylindrical sleeve can be squeezed to fit into the opening. Once placed in the incision opening, the rigidity of the cylindrical sleeve determines how much the incision stays open against the compressive force of the incision walls. However, unless the sleeve is extremely rigid so as to maintain its circular cross-section, it will form an elliptical shape with corresponding values for little “d” (that is, the width of incision opening perpendicular to incision direction) and big “D” (that is, the width of incision opening parallel to incision direction) based on the rigidity of the sleeve. In order to achieve a circular shape, the rigidity of the sleeve can only be increased so much until it deters the placement of the sleeve into the incision opening.
Given the usefulness of such retractors, it is an ongoing endeavor to improve upon currently existing retractors.